Delivery system having robot vehicles with temperature and humidity control compartments

ABSTRACT

An autonomous robot vehicle in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure includes a conveyance system and a compartment coupled to the conveyance system. The conveyance system autonomously drives the autonomous robotic vehicle between one or more storage locations and one or more delivery locations. The compartment receives one or more items stored at the one more storage locations. The compartment includes a temperature control module configured to maintain the compartment within a predetermined temperature range to provide temperature control for the one or more items as the conveyance system drives between the one or more storage locations and the one or more delivery locations.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/654,216, filed Oct. 16, 2019, which is a continuation ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/159,016, filed Oct. 12, 2018, whichis a continuation-in-part of International Application No.PCT/US2018/044361, filed on Jul. 30, 2018, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application No. 62/538,538, filed on Jul. 28, 2017. Theentire contents of each of the foregoing applications are herebyincorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE TECHNOLOGY

The present application relates to delivery, and in particular, to adelivery system including one or more autonomous or semi-autonomousrobot vehicles.

BACKGROUND

The field of fully-autonomous and/or semi-autonomous robots is a growingfield of innovation. Robots are being used for many purposes includingwarehouse inventory operations, household vacuuming robots, hospitaldelivery robots, sanitation robots, and military or defenseapplications.

In the consumer space, handling and delivery of groceries by autonomousvehicles could improve society in many ways. For example, rather thanspending time driving to/from a grocery store, wondering through thegrocery store to locate desired grocery items, and waiting on lines topay for the grocery items, a customer can instead engage in productivework, entertainment, and/or rest while waiting for an autonomous vehicleto deliver the grocery items to them. Accordingly, there is interest indeveloping technologies for handling and delivering grocery items byautonomous robot vehicles.

SUMMARY

This disclosure relates to a grocery delivery system including afully-autonomous and/or semi-autonomous robot fleet and, in particular,to a fleet of one or more robot vehicles for transporting or retrievingdeliveries in either unstructured outdoor environment or closedenvironments.

In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to an autonomousrobotic vehicle. The autonomous robotic vehicle includes a conveyancesystem and a storage compartment coupled to the conveyance system. Theconveyance system is configured to autonomously drive the autonomousrobotic vehicle between one or more grocery storage locations and one ormore delivery locations. The storage compartment is coupled to theconveyance system and configured to receive one or more grocery itemsstored at the one or more grocery storage locations. The storagecompartment includes a temperature control module configured to maintainthe storage compartment within a predetermined temperature range toprovide temperature control for the one or more grocery items as theconveyance system drives between the one or more grocery storagelocations and the one or more delivery locations.

In embodiments, the temperature control module may include a heater thatis configured to raise a temperature within the storage compartment tomaintain the temperature within the predetermined temperature range. Thepredetermined temperature range may be between about 40 degreesFahrenheit and about 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

In various embodiments, the temperature control module may include acooler that is configured to lower a temperature within the storagecompartment to maintain the temperature within the predeterminedtemperature range. The predetermined temperature range may be betweenabout 32 degrees Fahrenheit and about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Thepredetermined temperature range may be below about 32 degreesFahrenheit.

In some embodiments, the autonomous robotic vehicle may further includea humidity control module that controls humidity levels within thestorage compartment.

In embodiments, the temperature control module may be configured toselectively raise or lower a temperature within the storage compartmentto maintain the storage compartment within the predetermined temperaturerange.

In certain embodiments, the temperature control module may be configuredto adjust the temperature within the storage compartment based on anoptimal temperature range for the one or more grocery items.

According to another aspect, the present disclosure is directed togrocery delivery system including a database, a communication system,one or more processors, and a memory. The database is configured tostore a list of groceries for delivery by an autonomous vehicle. Thedatabase is further configured to store information of a deliverylocation and of one or more grocery storage locations. The communicationsystem is configured to communicate with computing devices to enable theone or more grocery items to be selected from the list of groceriesstored on the database to create a grocery order. The memory storesinstructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causethe grocery delivery system to access, in the database, the groceryorder; instruct the one or more storage locations to load the groceryorder on the autonomous vehicle; and instruct the autonomous vehicle totravel to the delivery location when the grocery order is loaded in theautonomous vehicle.

In various embodiments, the grocery delivery system may further includea fleet of autonomous robot vehicles.

In embodiments, the communication system may be configured tocommunicate with each autonomous robot vehicle of the fleet ofautonomous robot vehicles and to receive grocery orders from softwareapplications on computing devices of customers.

In some embodiments, the database may be configured to store informationfor each autonomous robot vehicle of the fleet. The information mayinclude equipment inventory for each autonomous robot vehicle andgrocery inventory of grocery orders for each autonomous robot vehicle.

In embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the one or moreprocessors, cause the system to identify, based on equipment inventoryand grocery inventory information in the database, particular autonomousvehicles in the fleet capable of fulfilling the grocery order.

In various embodiments, the equipment inventory information may indicatewhether each autonomous robot vehicle includes a temperature controlledstorage compartment.

In certain embodiments, the equipment inventory information may indicatewhether each autonomous robot vehicle includes one or more of: a heater,a cooler, or both a heater and a cooler.

In some embodiments, the equipment inventory information may indicatewhether each autonomous robot vehicle includes a humidity controlledstorage compartment.

In embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the one or moreprocessors, may further cause the system to travel to a differentdelivery location or to travel to the one or more storage locations.

According to yet another aspect, the present disclosure is directed toan autonomous robot vehicle system that includes a conveyance system, anavigation system configured to navigate to destinations, acommunication system, one or more storage compartments, one or moretemperature control modules, one or more processors, and a memory. Theone or more storage compartments are configured to store grocery itemsof a grocery order for a destination. Each grocery item has apredetermined temperature requirement. The one or more temperaturecontrol modules are coupled to the one or more storage compartments andconfigured to maintain one or more temperatures in the one or morestorage compartments within one or more predetermined temperatureranges. The memory stores instructions which, when executed by the oneor more processors, cause the autonomous robot vehicle to, autonomouslyreceive, via the communication system, the grocery order for thedestination; determine, via the navigation system, a travel route thatincludes the destination; control the conveyance system to travel thetravel route to reach the destination; and control, via the at least onetemperature control module, one or more temperatures in the one or morestorage compartments within the one or more predetermined temperatureranges based on the predetermined temperature requirements of thegrocery order while traveling on the travel route.

In various embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the one ormore processors, further cause the autonomous robot vehicle to: receive,via the communication system, one or more additional grocery orders; andcoordinate with the one or more temperature control modules forconcurrently controlling temperatures within the one or more storagecompartments based on the grocery order and the one or more additionalgrocery orders.

Further details and aspects of exemplary embodiments of the presentdisclosure are described in more detail below with reference to theappended figures.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in thisspecification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent asif each individual publication, patent, or patent application wasspecifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the features and advantages of the disclosedtechnology will be obtained by reference to the following detaileddescription that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which theprinciples of the technology are utilized, and the accompanying drawingsof which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an autonomous robot fleet in accordancewith the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is an front view of a robot vehicle of the autonomous robot fleetof FIG. 1 shown adjacent to an individual customer of average height;

FIG. 3 is a right, side view of the robot vehicle of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 4 is a left, side view of the robot vehicle of FIG. 2 shownadjacent to the individual customer of average height seen in FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart representation of logic flow for afleet management control module associated with a central server for theautonomous robot fleet of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary flowchart representation of logic flow from thefleet management control module of FIG. 5 through a robot processor ofthe robot vehicle of FIG. 2 to various systems and modules of the robotvehicle of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 7 is an exemplary flowchart representation of logic flow through acommunications module of an autonomous vehicle system;

FIG. 8 is an exemplary perspective view of an embodiment of the robotvehicle of FIG. 2 delivering grocery items to a customer;

FIG. 9 is an exemplary perspective view of another embodiment of therobot vehicle supporting grocery items in various compartments of therobot vehicle;

FIG. 10A is an exemplary perspective view of an embodiment of a storagemodule for the robot vehicle of FIG. 2 with a door thereof in a closedposition;

FIG. 10B is an exemplary perspective view of the storage module of FIG.10 with the door thereof shown in an open position and illustrating acompartment within the storage module with a temperature control moduleand a compartment within the storage module with a humidity controlmodule;

FIG. 11 is an exemplary perspective view of another storage module forthe robot vehicle of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 12 is a diagram of an exemplary networked environment of anautonomous vehicle system of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of exemplary components of a grocery deliveryserver for the autonomous vehicle management system of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This disclosure relates to a grocery delivery system including afully-autonomous and/or semi-autonomous robot fleet and, in particular,to one or more robot vehicles for transporting or retrieving deliveriesin either open unstructured outdoor environments or closed environments.In one aspect, the present disclosure provides systems and one or moreautonomous vehicles for receiving orders for transporting grocery itemsto be delivered to delivery destinations, where the grocery items may betemperature and/or humidity controlled on the autonomous vehicles enroute to the delivery destination (e.g., a customer home, office,warehouse, store, etc.). More specifically, the one or more autonomousvehicles include securable storage compartments for maintaining groceryitems within predetermined temperature and/or humidity ranges topreserve the freshness/vigor of the grocery items while in transportbetween destinations.

As used herein, the term “grocery” includes perishable andnon-perishable food and supplies/products such as produce, frozen foods,heated or warmed foods, refrigerated foods, wet foods, dry foods, cannedfoods, packaged foods, beverages, and the like, as well as relatedconsumer products or merchandise such as medication, hygiene products,toys, electronics, pharmacy products, vitamins/supplements, gift cards,decorations, books, videos, balloons, containers, magazines, cards,clothes, pet supplies, cosmetics, flowers, office supplies, schoolsupplies, cleaning supplies, kitchenware, dishware, utensils, laundryproducts, seasonal items, novelties, and/or other specialty items, etc.

Provided herein is a grocery delivery system including a robot fleethaving robot vehicles operating fully-autonomously or semi-autonomouslyand a fleet management module for coordination of the robot fleet, whereeach robot within the fleet is configured for transporting, deliveringor retrieving goods or services and is capable of operating in anunstructured open or closed environment. Each robot can include a powersystem, a conveyance system, a navigation module, at least one securablecompartment or multiple securable compartments to hold goods, acontroller configurable to associate each of the securable compartmentsto an assignable customer or a customer group within a marketplace, orprovider and provide entry when authorized, a communication module, atemperature control module, a humidity control module, and a processorconfigured to manage the conveyance system, the navigation module, thesensor system, the communication module, the temperature control module,the humidity control module, and the controller.

As used herein, the term “autonomous” includes fully-autonomous,semi-autonomous, and any configuration in which a vehicle can operate ina controlled manner for a period of time without human intervention.

As used herein, the term “fleet,” “sub-fleet,” and like terms are usedto indicate a number of mobile machines or vehicles including landvehicles, watercraft, and/or aircraft operating together or under thesame ownership. In some embodiments, the fleet or sub-fleet is engagedin the same activity. In various embodiments, the fleet or sub-fleet areengaged in similar activities. In certain embodiments, the fleet orsub-fleet are engaged in different activities.

As used herein, the term “robot,” “robot vehicle,” “robot fleet,”“vehicle,” “all-terrain vehicle,” “multi-terrain vehicle,” and liketerms are used to indicate a mobile machine that transports cargo,items, and/or goods. Typical vehicles include cars, wagons, vans,unmanned motor vehicles (e.g., tricycles, trucks, trailers, buses,etc.), unmanned railed vehicles (e.g., trains, trams, etc.), unmannedwatercraft (e.g., ships, boats, ferries, landing craft, barges, rafts,etc.), aerial drones, unmanned hovercraft (air, land and water types),unmanned aircraft, and even including unmanned spacecraft.

As used herein, the term “compartment,” which may include a“sub-compartment,” is used to indicate an internal bay of a robotvehicle. In embodiments, the compartment may have a dedicated door, forexample, at the exterior of the vehicle for accessing the bay, orportions thereof, and/or interior of the vehicle for access the bay, orportions thereof. In various embodiments, compartment may indicate aninsert secured within the bay, or portions thereof.

As used herein, the term “sub-compartment” is used to indicate asubdivision or portion of a compartment.

As used herein, the term “user,” “operator,” “fleet operator,”“manager,” and like terms are used to indicate the entity that owns oris responsible for managing and/or operating the robot fleet, orportions thereof.

As used herein, the term “customer” and like terms are used to indicatethe entity that requests the services provided by the robot fleet.

As used herein, the term “provider,” “business,” “vendor,” “third partyvendor,” and like terms are used to indicate an entity that works inconcert with the fleet owner or operator to utilize the services of therobot fleet to deliver the provider's product from, and/or return theprovider's product to, the provider's place of business orstaging/storing location.

As used herein, the term “server,” “computer server,” “central server,”“main server,” and like terms are used to indicate a computer or deviceon a network that manages the fleet resources, namely the one or more ofthe robot vehicles.

As used herein, the term “controller” and like terms are used toindicate a device that controls the transfer of data from a computer toa peripheral device and vice versa. For example, disk drives, displayscreens, keyboards, and printers all require controllers. In personalcomputers, the controllers are often single chips. As used herein, thecontroller is commonly used for managing access to components of therobot such as the securable storage compartments.

As used herein, a “mesh network” is a network topology in which eachnode relays data for the network. All mesh nodes cooperate in thedistribution of data in the network. It can be applied to both wired andwireless networks. Wireless mesh networks can be considered a type of“Wireless ad hoc” network. Thus, wireless mesh networks are closelyrelated to Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). Although MANETs are notrestricted to a specific mesh network topology, Wireless ad hoc networksor MANETs can take any form of network topology. Mesh networks can relaymessages using either a flooding technique or a routing technique. Withrouting, the message is propagated along a path by hopping from node tonode until it reaches its destination. To ensure that all its paths areavailable, the network must allow for continuous connections and mustreconfigure itself around broken paths, using self-healing algorithmssuch as Shortest Path Bridging. Self-healing allows a routing-basednetwork to operate when a node breaks down or when a connection becomesunreliable. As a result, the network is typically quite reliable, asthere is often more than one path between a source and a destination inthe network. This concept can also apply to wired networks and tosoftware interaction. A mesh network whose nodes are all connected toeach other is a fully connected network.

As used herein, the term “module” and like terms are used to indicate aself-contained hardware component of the central server, which in turnincludes software modules. In software, a module is a part of a program.Programs are composed of one or more independently developed modulesthat are not combined until the program is linked. A single module cancontain one or several routines, or sections of programs that perform aparticular task. As used herein, the fleet management module includessoftware modules for managing various aspects and functions of the robotfleet.

As used herein, the term “processor,” “digital processing device” andlike terms are used to indicate a microprocessor or central processingunit (CPU). The CPU is the electronic circuitry within a computer thatcarries out the instructions of a computer program by performing thebasic arithmetic, logical, control and input/output (I/O) operationsspecified by the instructions.

In accordance with the description herein, suitable digital processingdevices include, by way of non-limiting examples, server computers,desktop computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, sub-notebookcomputers, netbook computers, netpad computers, set-top computers,handheld computers, Internet appliances, mobile smartphones, tabletcomputers, personal digital assistants, video game consoles, andvehicles. Those of skill in the art will recognize that many smartphonesare suitable for use in the system described herein. Suitable tabletcomputers include those with booklet, slate, and convertibleconfigurations, known to those of skill in the art.

In some embodiments, the digital processing device includes an operatingsystem configured to perform executable instructions. The operatingsystem is, for example, software, including programs and data, whichmanages the device's hardware and provides services for execution ofapplications. Those of skill in the art will recognize that suitableserver operating systems include, by way of non-limiting examples,FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD®, Linux, Apple® Mac OS X Server®, Oracle®Solaris®, Windows Server®, and Novell® NetWare®. Those of skill in theart will recognize that suitable personal computer operating systemsinclude, by way of non-limiting examples, Microsoft® Windows®, Apple®Mac OS X®, UNIX®, and UNIX-like operating systems such as GNU/Linux®. Insome embodiments, the operating system is provided by cloud computing.Those of skill in the art will also recognize that suitable mobile smartphone operating systems include, by way of non-limiting examples, Nokia®Symbian® OS, Apple® iOS®, Research In Motion® BlackBerry OS®, Google®Android®, Microsoft® Windows Phone® OS, Microsoft® Windows Mobile® OS,Linux®, and Palm® WebOS®.

In some embodiments, the device includes a storage and/or memory device.The storage and/or memory device is one or more physical apparatus usedto store data or programs on a temporary or permanent basis. In someembodiments, the device is volatile memory and requires power tomaintain stored information. In some embodiments, the device isnon-volatile memory and retains stored information when the digitalprocessing device is not powered. In some embodiments, the non-volatilememory includes flash memory. In some embodiments, the non-volatilememory includes dynamic random-access memory (DRAM). In someembodiments, the non-volatile memory includes ferroelectric randomaccess memory (FRAM). In some embodiments, the non-volatile memoryincludes phase-change random access memory (PRAM). In some embodiments,the device is a storage device including, by way of non-limitingexamples, CD-ROMs, DVDs, flash memory devices, magnetic disk drives,magnetic tapes drives, optical disk drives, and cloud computing basedstorage. In some embodiments, the storage and/or memory device is acombination of devices such as those disclosed herein.

In some embodiments, the digital processing device includes a display tosend visual information to a user. In some embodiments, the display is acathode ray tube (CRT). In some embodiments, the display is a liquidcrystal display (LCD). In some embodiments, the display is a thin filmtransistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD). In some embodiments, thedisplay is an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display. In varioussome embodiments, on OLED display is a passive-matrix OLED (PMOLED) oractive-matrix OLED (AMOLED) display. In some embodiments, the display isa plasma display. In some embodiments, the display is a video projector.In some embodiments, the display is interactive (e.g., having a touchscreen or a sensor such as a camera, a 3D sensor, a LiDAR, a radar,etc.) that can detect user interactions/gestures/responses and the like.In still some embodiments, the display is a combination of devices suchas those disclosed herein.

The Fleet of Robot Vehicles

Provided herein is a robot fleet 100, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , havingrobot vehicles 101, with each vehicle 101 operating fully-autonomously(e.g., unmanned) or semi-autonomously. In some embodiments, the robotfleet 100 is fully-autonomous. In some embodiments, the robot fleet 100is semi-autonomous.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2-4 , one exemplary configuration of a robot 101is a vehicle configured for land travel, such as a smallfully-autonomous (or semi-autonomous) automobile. The exemplary robot101 is narrow (e.g., 2-5 feet wide), low mass and low center of gravityfor stability, having multiple secure storage compartments 102, 104assignable to one or more customers, retailers and/or vendors, anddesigned for moderate working speed ranges (e.g., up to 45.0 mph) toaccommodate inner-city and residential driving speeds. Additionally, insome embodiments, the robots 101 in the fleet are configured with amaximum speed range up to about 90.0 mph for high speed, intrastate orinterstate driving. Each robot 101 in the fleet is equipped with asensor system 170 include any number of onboard sensors such as cameras(e.g., running at a high frame rate, akin to video), LiDAR, radar,ultrasonic sensors, microphones, etc. and internal computer processingto constantly determine where it can safely navigate, what other objectsare around each robot 101 and what it may do.

In some embodiments, it may be necessary to have communication betweenone or more robots 101, a fleet operator/manager 200, a provider 204and/or a customer 202 to address previously unforeseen issues (e.g., amalfunction with the navigation module; provider inventory issues;unanticipated traffic or road conditions; or direct customer interactionafter the robot arrives at the customer location).

In some embodiments, the robot fleet 100 is controlled directly by thefleet manager 200. In some embodiments, it may be necessary to havedirect human interaction between the customer 202 and the fleet operator200 (e.g., through robot 101) to address maintenance issues such asmechanical failure, electrical failure or a traffic accident (see FIG. 7).

In some embodiments, the robot fleet 100 is configured for land travel.In some embodiments, each robot vehicle 101 in the fleet 100 isconfigured with a working speed range from 13.0 mph to 45.0 mph. In someembodiments, the robot vehicles 101 in the fleet 100 are configured witha maximum speed range from 13.0 mph to about 90.0 mph.

In some embodiments, the robot fleet 100 is configured for water travelas a watercraft and is configured with a working speed range from up to45.0 mph.

In some embodiments, the robot fleet 100 is configured for hover travelas an over-land or over-water hovercraft and is configured with aworking speed range up to 60.0 mph.

In some embodiments, the robot fleet 100 is configured for air travel asan aerial drone or aerial hovercraft and is configured with a workingspeed range up to 80.0 mph.

In some embodiments of the robot fleet 100, the autonomous robots 101within the fleet 100 are operated on behalf of third partyvendor/service provider. For example, a fleet management service isestablished to provide a roving delivery service for a third partygrocery provider (e.g., an ice cream service/experience for a thirdparty vendor (e.g., Haagen-Dazs®)). It is conceived that the fleetmanagement service would provide a sub-fleet of “white label” vehiclescarrying the logo and products of that third party grocery provider tooperate either fully-autonomously or semi-autonomously to provide thisservice.

In some embodiments of the robot fleet 100, the autonomous robots 101within the fleet 100 are further configured to be part of a sub-fleet ofautonomous robots 101, and each sub-fleet is configured to operateindependently or in tandem with multiple sub-fleets having two or moresub-fleets.

For example, a package delivery service is configured to offer multiplelevels of service such as “immediate dedicated rush service,”“guaranteed morning/afternoon delivery service,” or “general deliveryservice.” A service provider could then have a dedicated sub-fleet ofdelivery vehicles for each type of service within their overall fleet ofvehicles. In yet another example, a third party has priority over acertain number of vehicles in the fleet. In so doing, they can guaranteea certain level of responsiveness. When they aren't using the vehicles,the vehicles are used for general services within the fleet (e.g., otherthird parties).

In some embodiments, the robot fleet 100 is controlled directly by themanager 200.

In some embodiments, there will likely be times when a vehicle breaksdown, has an internal system or module failure or is in need ofmaintenance. For example, in the event that the navigation module shouldfail, each robot 101 within the fleet 100 is configurable to allow fordirect control of the robot's processor to override the conveyance andsensor systems (e.g., cameras, etc.) by a fleet operator 200 to allowfor the safe return of the vehicle 101 to a base station for repair ormaintenance.

The Operating Environments

In some embodiments, the unstructured open environment is a non-confinedgeographic region accessible by navigable pathways, including, forexample, public roads, private roads, bike paths, open fields, openpublic lands, open private lands, pedestrian walkways, oceans, lakes,rivers, streams, airways, etc.

In some embodiments, the closed environment is a confined, enclosed orsemi-enclosed structure accessible by navigable pathways, including, forexample, open areas or rooms within commercial architecture, with orwithout structures or obstacles therein, airspace within open areas orrooms within commercial architecture, with or without structures orobstacles therein, public or dedicated aisles, hallways, tunnels, ramps,elevators, conveyors, or pedestrian walkways.

In some embodiments, the unstructured open environment is a non-confinedairspace or even near-space environment which includes all main layersof the Earth's atmosphere including the troposphere, the stratosphere,the mesosphere, the thermosphere and the exosphere.

In some embodiments, the navigation module controls routing of theconveyance system of the robots in the fleet in the unstructured open orclosed environments.

The Fleet Management Module

With reference to FIG. 5 , in some embodiments of the robot fleet 100,the fleet 100 includes a fleet management module 120 (associated with acentral server 110) for coordination of the robot fleet 100 andassignment of tasks for each robot 101 in the fleet 100. The fleetmanagement module 120 coordinates the activity and positioning of eachrobot 101 in the fleet 100. In addition to communicating with the robotfleet 100, fleet operator 200, the fleet management module 120 alsocommunicates with providers/vendors/businesses 204 and customers 202 tooptimize behavior of the entire system.

The fleet management module 120 works in coordination with a centralserver 110, typically located in a central operating facility owned ormanaged by the fleet operator 200.

With continued reference to FIG. 5 , in one embodiment, a request issent to a main server 110 (typically located at the fleet manager'slocation), which then communicates with the fleet management module 120.The fleet management module 120 then relays the request to theappropriate provider 204 of the service (e.g., grocery store, warehouse,vendor, retailer, etc.) and an appropriate robot or robots 101 in thefleet 100. The most appropriate robot(s) 101 in the fleet 100 within thegeographic region, and which may be closest to the service provider 204,is then assigned the task. The service provider 204 then interacts withthat robot 101 at their business (e.g., loading it with goods, ifneeded). The robot 101 then travels to the customer 202 and the customer202 interacts with the robot 101 to retrieve their goods or service(e.g., the grocery items ordered). An interaction can include requestingthe robot 101 to open its compartment(s) 102, 104 through the customer'sapp or through a user interface on the robot itself 145 (using, e.g.,RFID reader and customer phone, a touchpad, a keypad, voice commands,vision-based recognition of the person, etc.) (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ). Uponcompletion of the delivery (or retrieval, if appropriate), the robot 101reports completion of the assignment and reports back to the fleetmanagement module 120 for re-assignment (e.g., to another groceryorder), repair, and/or maintenance (e.g., to a base station or repairshop).

As further illustrated in FIG. 6 , and previously noted, in someembodiments, the fleet management module 120 handles coordination of therobot fleet 100 and assignment of tasks for each robot 101 in the fleet100. The fleet management module 120 coordinates the activity andpositioning of each robot 101 in the fleet 100. The fleet managementmodule 120 also communicates with vendors/businesses 204 and customers202 to optimize behavior of the entire system. It does this by utilizingthe robot's processor 125 to process the various inputs and outputs fromeach of the robot's systems and modules, including: the conveyancesystem 130, the power system 135, the navigation module 140, the sensorsystem 170, the communication module 160, the controller 150, thetemperature control module 180, and/or the humidity control module 190to effectively manage and coordinate the various functions of each robot101 in the fleet 100.

In some embodiments, the robot 101 may be requested for a pick-up of anitem (e.g., a grocery item or document such as a receipt) with theintent of delivery to another party. In this scenario, the fleetmanagement module 120 would assign the robot 101 to arrive at a givenlocation, assign a securable storage compartment for receiving the item,confirm receipt from the first party to the fleet management module 120,then proceed to the second location where an informed receiving partywould recover the item from the robot 101 using an appropriate PIN orother recognition code to gain access to the secure storage compartment.The robot 101 would then report completion of the assignment and reportback to the fleet management module 120 for re-assignment.

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the central server110 and/or the fleet management module 120 can include or can be part ofa grocery delivery system (e.g., for managing the fleet 100).

Conveyance Systems

Each robot vehicle 101 in the fleet 100 includes a conveyance system 130(e.g., a drive system with a propulsion engine, wheels, treads, wings,rotors, blowers, rockets, propellers, brakes, etc.).

As noted previously, the robot fleet 100 is configurable for land,water, and/or air. Typical vehicles include cars, wagons, vans, unmannedmotor vehicles (e.g., tricycles, trucks, trailers, buses, etc.),unmanned railed vehicles (e.g., trains, trams, etc.), unmannedwatercraft (e.g., ships, boats, ferries, landing craft, barges, rafts,etc.), aerial drones, unmanned hovercraft (air, land, and water types),unmanned aircraft, and unmanned spacecraft.

In one exemplary embodiment, a robot land vehicle 101 is configured witha traditional 4-wheeled automotive configuration comprising conventionalsteering and braking systems. The drive train is configurable forstandard 2-wheel drive or 4-wheel all-terrain traction drive. Thepropulsion system (engine) is configurable as a gas engine, a turbineengine, an electric motor and/or a hybrid gas/electric engine.Alternatively, the robot 101 could be configured with an auxiliary solarpower system to provide back-up emergency power or power for minorlow-power sub-systems.

Alternative configurations of components to a total drive system with apropulsion engine could include wheels, treads, wings, rotors, blowers,rockets, propellers, brakes, etc.

In some embodiments, the robot fleet 100 is configured for water travelas a watercraft with a propulsion system (engine) that is configurableas a gas engine, a turbine engine, an electric motor and/or a hybridgas/electric engine and is further configured with a propeller.

In some embodiments, the robot fleet 100 is configured for hover travelas an over-land or over-water hovercraft or an air-cushion vehicle (ACV)and is configured with blowers to produce a large volume of air belowthe hull that is slightly above atmospheric pressure. The propulsionsystem (engine) is configurable as a gas engine, a turbine engine, anelectric motor and/or a hybrid gas/electric engine.

In some embodiments, the robot fleet 100 is configured for air travel asan aerial drone or aerial hovercraft and is configured with wings,rotors, blowers, rockets, and/or propellers and an appropriate brakesystem. The propulsion system (engine) is configurable as a gas engine,a turbine engine, an electric motor and/or a hybrid gas/electric engine.

The Power System

In some embodiments, each robot 101 of the robot fleet 100 is configuredwith one or more power sources, which include a power system 135 (e.g.,battery, solar, gasoline, propane, etc.).

Navigation Module

Each robot 101 in the fleet 100 further includes a navigation module 140for navigation in the unstructured open or closed environments (e.g.,digital maps, HD maps, GPS, etc.). In some embodiments, the fleet 100relies on maps generated by the user, operator, or fleet operator,specifically created to cover the intended environment where the robot101 is configured to operate. These maps would then be used for generalguidance of each robot 101 in the fleet 100, which would augment thisunderstanding of the environment by using sensor system 170, which caninclude a variety of on-board sensors such as cameras, LiDAR, altimetersor radar to confirm its relative geographic position and elevation.

In some embodiments, for navigation, the fleet 100 of robots 101 usesinternal maps to provide information about where they are going and thestructure of the road environment (e.g., lanes, etc.) and combine thisinformation with onboard sensors (e.g., cameras, LiDAR, radar,ultrasound, microphones, etc.) and internal computer processing toconstantly determine where they can safely navigate, what other objectsare around each robot and what they may do. In still other embodiments,the fleet 100 incorporates on-line maps to augment internal maps. Thisinformation is then combined to determine a safe, robust trajectory forthe robot 101 to follow and this is then executed by the low levelactuators on the robot 101.

In some embodiments, the fleet 100 relies on a global positioning system(GPS) that allows land, sea, and airborne users to determine their exactlocation, velocity, and time 24 hours a day, in all weather conditions,anywhere in the world.

In some embodiments, the fleet 100 of robots 101 will use a combinationof internal maps, sensors and GPS systems to confirm its relativegeographic position and elevation.

In some embodiments, the autonomous fleet 100 is strategicallypositioned throughout a geographic region in anticipation of a knowndemand.

Over time, a fleet operator 200 and/or a vendor 204 can anticipatedemand for robot services by storing data concerning how many orders(and what type of orders) are made at particular times of day fromdifferent areas of the region. This can be done for both source (e.g.,grocery stores, restaurants, warehouses, general businesses, etc.) anddestination (e.g., customer, other businesses, etc.). Then, for aspecific current day and time, this stored data is used to determinewhat the optimal location of the fleet 100 is given the expected demand.More concretely, the fleet 100 can be positioned to be as close aspossible to the expected source locations, anticipating these sourcelocations will be the most likely new orders to come into the system.Even more concretely, it is possible to estimate the number of ordersfrom each possible source in the next hour and weight each sourcelocation by this number. Then one can position the fleet 100 so that thefleet 100 optimally covers the weighted locations based on thesenumbers.

In some embodiments of the robot fleet 100, the positioning of robots101 can be customized based on: anticipated use, a pattern of historicalbehaviors, or specific goods being carried.

Sensor Systems

As noted previously, each robot 101 is equipped with a sensor system170, which includes at least a minimum number of onboard sensors such ascameras (for example, those running at a high frame rate akin to video),LiDAR, radar, ultrasonic sensors, microphones, etc.) and internalcomputer processing 125 to constantly determine where it can safelynavigate, what other objects are around each robot 101, and what it maydo within its immediate surroundings.

In some embodiments, sensor system 170 includes sensors for conveyancesystem 130 configured to: monitor drive mechanism performance (e.g., thepropulsion engine); monitor power system 135 levels (e.g., battery,solar, gasoline, propane, etc.); or monitor drive train performance(e.g., transmission, tires, brakes, rotors, etc.).

Communications Module

With reference to FIG. 7 , each robot 101 in the fleet 100 furtherincludes a communication module 160 configurable to receive, store andsend data to the fleet management module 120, to a user, to and from thefleet management module 120, and to and from the robots 101 in the fleet100. In some embodiments, the data is related to at least operator 200interactions and the robot fleet 100 interactions, including, forexample, scheduled requests or orders, on-demand requests or orders, ora need for self-positioning of the robot fleet 100 based on anticipateddemand within the unstructured open or closed environments.

In some embodiments, each robot 101 in the fleet 100 includes at leastone communication module 160 configurable to receive, store and transmitdata, and to store that data to a memory device 514 (see FIG. 13 ), forfuture data transfer or manual download.

In some embodiments, each business 204 and customer 202 has their ownapp/interface to communicate with the fleet operator 200 (e.g., “Nurocustomer app” for customers on their phone, “Nuro vendor app” forbusinesses on a tablet or phone or their internal computer system,etc.).

In some embodiments, communication to the operator 200 and the robots101 in the fleet 100, between the robots 101 of the fleet 100, andbetween the operator 200 and the robots 101 in the fleet, occurs viawireless transmission.

In some embodiments, the operator's 200 wireless transmissioninteractions and the robot fleet 100 wireless transmission interactionsoccur via mobile application transmitted by an electronic device (e.g.,cell phone, tablet, etc.) and forwarded to the communication module via:a central server 110, a fleet management module 120, and/or a meshnetwork.

In some embodiments, one preferred method of communication is to usecellular communication between the fleet manager 200 and fleet 100 ofrobots 101, (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, or the like). Alternatively, thecommunication between the fleet control module 120 and the robots 101could occur via satellite communication systems.

In some embodiments, a customer 202 uses an app (either on a cellphone,laptop, tablet, computer or any interactive device) to request a service(e.g., an on-demand grocery order or for a mobile marketplace robot tocome to them such as for returning a grocery item, for example).

In some embodiments, the electronic device includes: a phone, a personalmobile device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mainframe computer,a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and/orwearable computing device such as a communication headset, smartglasses, a contact lens or lenses, a digital watch, a bracelet, a ring,jewelry, or a combination thereof.

Goods and Services

In some embodiments, the operator 200 includes a fleet manager, asub-contracting vendor, a service provider, a customer, a businessentity, an individual, or a third party.

In some embodiments, the services include: subscription services,prescription services, marketing services, advertising services,notification services, or requested, ordered or scheduled deliveryservices. In particular embodiments, the scheduled delivery servicesinclude, by way of example, special repeat deliveries such as groceries,prescriptions, drinks, mail, documents, etc.

In some embodiments, the services further include: the user receivingand returning the same or similar groceries within the same interaction(e.g., signed documents), the user receiving one set of groceries andreturning a different set of groceries within the same interaction(e.g., grocery replacement/returns, payment transactions, etc.), a thirdparty user providing instruction and or authorization to a goods orservice provider to prepare, transport, deliver and/or retrievegroceries to a principle user in a different location.

In some embodiments, the services further include: advertising services,land survey services, patrol services, monitoring services, trafficsurvey services, signage and signal survey services, architecturalbuilding or road infrastructure survey services.

In some embodiments, at least one robot 101 is further configured toprocess or manufacture goods.

In some embodiments, the processed or manufactured goods include:beverages, with or without condiments (such as coffee, tea, carbonateddrinks, etc.); various fast foods; or microwavable foods.

In some embodiments, the robots 101 within the fleet 100 are equippedfor financial transactions. These can be accomplished using knowntransaction methods such as debit/credit card readers or the like.

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, when the robotfleet 100 is configured as a roving fleet, such robot vehicles 101 canreduce the wait time from customer order to delivery.

Securable Compartments

As illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9 , robots 101 in the fleet 100 are eachconfigured for transporting, delivering or retrieving goods or servicesand are capable of operating in an unstructured open environment orclosed environment. In some embodiments, the vehicle 101 is configuredto travel practically anywhere (e.g., land, water, air, etc.). Vehicleincludes two large storage compartments 102, 104 on each side of thevehicle 101, but may include any number of compartments. Large storagecompartments 102, 104 can include any number of smaller internal securestorage compartments of various configurations such as compartments 102a, 102 b, 104 a, 104 b, respectively, for carrying individual items thatare to be delivered to, or need to be retrieved from customers 202. Theinternal secure compartments 102 a, 102 b, 104 a, 104 b, may also bereferred to herein as sub-compartments. Additionally, within the contextof descriptions relating to compartments and sub-compartments, the term“module” may be used herein to refer to a compartment and/or asub-compartment.

In embodiments, one or more of compartments 102, 104, or respectivesub-compartments 102 a, 102 b, 104 a, 104 b, may include, or beoperatively coupled to a temperature control module 180 and/or ahumidity control module 190 so that one or more of the securable storagecompartments are humidity and/or temperature controlled for maintaininggrocery items within predetermined temperature and/or humidity ranges topreserve the freshness/vigor of the grocery items while in transportbetween destinations. Temperature control module 180 and/or humiditycontrol module 190 can include any suitable heating devices, coolingdevices, and/or humidifying/dehumidifying devices for controlling thetemperature and/or humidity of grocery items “G.” For instance, onecompartment (e.g., 104 a) may include a heater 180 a for heating groceryitem “G” within that compartment, while another compartment (e.g., 104b) includes a cooler 180 b for cooling (refrigeration and/or freezing)grocery item “G” within that compartment. In one example, a compartment104 c may include a humidifier (or dehumidifier) 190 a for humidifying(or dehumidifying the grocery items “G” within that compartment. Suchtechnology can include any suitable mechanical, electrical, and/orchemical components (e.g., vents, coils, fluids, compressors, pipes,controllers, gas, water, valves, nozzles, pumps, tanks, burners, lamps,wires, fans, transducers, wicks, fans, etc.). In embodiments,temperature and/or humidity can be autonomously and/or manually adjustedbased on the type and quantity of groceries and various grouping ofgroceries. In certain embodiments, the vehicle 101 may include one ormore sensors, such as in the compartments, to determine various datasuch as types, temperatures and humidity of the groceries and/or ambientair in the various compartments. In some embodiments, the data can becompared or contrasted with historical or real-time data stored inmemory or on the network to determine the most effective and/orefficient manner in which to control temperatures and/or humidity of thegroceries and/or ambient air within the compartments.

In certain embodiments, one or more of the compartment(s) may includecompartment lighting 106 (e.g., for night deliveries).

In some embodiments, the securable compartments are variablyconfigurable based on: anticipated demands, patterns of behaviors, areaof service, or types of goods to be transported.

Referring again to FIG. 6 , each robot 101 includes securable storagecompartments 102, 104 to hold grocery items, and a controller 150configurable to associate each one of the securable compartments 102,104 to an assignable customer 202 or provider 204 and provide entry whenauthorized. Each robot vehicle 101 further includes at least oneprocessor 125 configured to manage the conveyance system 130, thenavigation module 140, the sensor system 170, instructions from thefleet management module 120, the communication module 160, thetemperature control module 180, the humidity control module 190, and thecontroller 150.

As described previously, each robot 101 is configured with securablestorage compartments 102, 104. Alternately, a robot 101 is configurableto contain a set of goods or even a mobile marketplace (similar to amini bar at a hotel).

When a robot is assigned to a customer 202, one or more of thecompartments 102, 104 is also assigned to that customer 202. Each of thelarge compartments 102, 104 is secured separately and can securelytransport groceries to a separate set of customers 202.

Upon arrival of the robot 101 to the customer destination, the customer202 can then open their respective compartment(s) by verifying theiridentity with the robot 101. This can be done through a wide variety ofapproaches comprising, but not limited to:

-   -   1. The customers can be given a PIN (e.g., 4 digit number) when        they make their initial request/order. They can then enter this        pin at the robot using the robot touchscreen or a keypad.    -   2. The customers can verify themselves using their mobile phone        and an RFID reader on the robot.    -   3. The customers can verify themselves using their voice and a        personal keyword or key phrase they speak to the robot.    -   4. The customers can verify themselves through their face, a        government ID, or a business ID badge using cameras and facial        recognition or magnetic readers on the robot.    -   5. The customers can verify themselves using their mobile phone;        by pushing a button or predetermined code on their phone (and        the system could optionally detect the customer is near the        robot by using their GPS position from phone)

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the robot vehicles101 can be configured to carry grocery items and to autonomously controltemperature and/or humidity ranges within the compartments 102, 104. Invarious embodiments, the robot vehicle 101 includes a storagecompartment or sub-compartment, such as a refrigeration compartment orsub-compartment, a freezer compartment or sub-compartment, a temperaturecontrolled storage compartment or sub-compartment, and/or a humiditycontrolled storage compartment or sub-compartment. For ease ofexplanation below, a compartment or sub-compartment can be referred toas a module.

FIGS. 10A and 10B show one embodiment of a storage module 250positionable within one or more of the compartments 102, 104. Inembodiments, storage module 250 may be wholly, or partially replaceable.Storage module 250 includes a selectively openable door 252, a firstcompartment 254 that is temperature controlled, as indicated bytemperature display 254 b, and a second compartment 256 that is humiditycontrolled, as indicated by humidity display 256 b. First and secondcompartments 254, 256 are separated by a shelf 258. First compartment254 further includes a cooler 254 a and/or heater 254 c and thetemperature display 254 b, each of which can be part of, and/oroperatively coupled to temperature control module 180 (FIG. 6 ) and/ortogether. Similarly, second compartment 256 includes humidity display256 b and a humidifier and/or dehumidifier 256 a that are operativelycoupled to humidity control module 190 (FIG. 6 ) and/or together.Humidity control module 190 and temperature control module 180, orcomponents thereof, may be operatively coupled together. As can beappreciated, any number of these type compartments can include one,both, or neither of the humidity and/or temperature control modules 190,180, or components thereof.

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of a storage module 300 which may betemperature controlled. The module 300 can include a sliding door 320that opens and closes the module 300. FIG. 11 shows the sliding door 320in an open position. When the sliding door 320 is the open position,groceries within the module 300 (e.g., pizza pies) are accessible andcan be removed from the module 300.

In various embodiments, the storage modules may include temperaturecontrol modules that are configured to provide heat within the storagemodule up to about 500 degrees Fahrenheit. In certain embodiments, thestorage modules may include a temperature control module configured tocool the storage module between about 32 and about 40 degrees Fahrenheit(e.g., refrigeration temperatures) and/or 32 degrees Fahrenheit andbelow (e.g., freezing temperatures). Other types and configurations oftemperature controlled modules are contemplated for storing andpreserving various types of grocery items. Any of the presentlydisclosed modules may be fully or partially insulated, or not insulatedat all.

Controller(s) and Processor(s)

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, and with referenceto FIGS. 12 and 13 , a grocery delivery management system 510 isprovided that receives Internet grocery orders and communicates thegrocery orders to autonomous robot vehicles 101 for delivery of groceryitems to delivery destinations. In particular, the following will nowdescribe control and processing in connection with managing delivery ofgrocery items by autonomous vehicles, where the autonomous vehiclescontrol temperature and/or humidity conditions within a compartment enroute to a destination.

One embodiment of grocery delivery system 501 can include one or moreservers 510 (e.g., grocery delivery management server) that are incommunication with a network 530, which can include any networktechnology including, for instance, a cellular data network, a wirednetwork, a fiber optic network, a satellite network, and/or an IEEE802.11a/b/g/n/ac wireless network, among others. Customer devices 540can communicate with the server 510 through the network 530. A customerdevice 540 can be any electronic device described herein or notdescribed herein, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktopcomputers, set-top boxes, smart watches, or another device.

In accordance with one aspect of the present technology, the customerdevices 540 can use software applications to communicate with the server510. In various embodiments, the software application can be a mobileapp, a web browser that loads a particular URL, or a standalone computerapplication, among other things. The software application can include amenu of grocery items may or may not require temperature and/or humiditycontrol en route during delivery (not shown), and can permit a groceryorder to be completed specifying desired grocery items and a deliverydestination. The software application on the customer devicescommunicates the grocery order to the server 510, which receives thegrocery order and communicates it to one or more autonomous vehicles101.

As seen in FIG. 13 , there is shown a block diagram of exemplarycomponents of the grocery delivery management server 510, including oneor more processor(s) 512, one or more memory 514, a database 516, and acommunication system 518. The memory 514 can store instructions forexecution by the processor(s) 512 to carry out the operations describedherein. The communication system 518 can operate to receive orders fromsoftware applications and can communicate with the autonomous robotvehicles 101. The database 516 can store the grocery orders and can alsostore information for each of the autonomous robot vehicles 101,including, for example, vehicle ID, grocery storage/staging ID,base/repair/maintenance station ID, locations, equipment inventory,grocery inventory etc. Different vehicles 101 may have differentequipment and grocery offerings. For example, one vehicle may includeequipment such as a freezer module, a heater module, and/or arefrigerator module. Another vehicle may include only a freezer module.Yet another module may include a heater module and an ambienttemperature module. Likewise, grocery storage locations may havedifferent offerings such as generally grocery items at one location(e.g., eggs, milk, cereal) or specialty offering at another location(e.g., Chinese food, liquor, kosher food, Thai food, balloons, cards,videos, merchandise, etc.) This information is stored in the database516 of the server 510. The database 516 can also store the location ofeach autonomous robot vehicle 101 and/or the various customer, vendor,repair shop locations, equipment, etc. As described above herein, eachvehicle 101 can include GPS navigation capability. The autonomous robotvehicles 101 can communicate their locations to the server 510, whichcan store the location information in the database 516. The listing ofdatabase information in FIG. 13 is exemplary, and other informationregarding grocery orders or autonomous vehicles can be stored in thedatabase 516.

With continuing reference to FIG. 13 , when the server 510 receives agrocery order, the server 510 determines which autonomous vehicles 101may be capable of fulfilling the order. In particular, in accordancewith aspects of the present disclosure, the grocery order can specifygrocery items to be temperature and/or humidity controlled en routeduring delivery to a destination. The grocery delivery management system510 can access the database 516 to access the equipment inventory andgrocery inventory for the autonomous vehicles 101, and to determinewhich vehicles 101 include the ordered grocery item and the equipmentfor controlling the temperature and/or humidity of the grocery item. Invarious embodiments, the server 510 can additionally access the locationof each vehicle 101.

In various embodiments, the server 510 can communicate the grocery orderto one or more of the eligible vehicles 101 that include the groceryitem and the necessary module (e.g., freezer, refrigerator, heater,dryer, humidifier, etc.). In various embodiments, the server 510 canassign the grocery order to the eligible vehicle 101 that is closest tothe delivery destination. In various embodiments, the server 510 canassign the grocery order to the eligible vehicle 101 that has the fewestnumber of grocery orders. In various embodiments, the server 510 canassign the grocery order to the eligible vehicle 101 that has theoptimal balance of distance and number of grocery orders for delivery.In various embodiments, the server 510 can communicate the grocery orderto one or more eligible vehicles 101, and each eligible vehicle 101 caneither accept the order or reject the order. In various embodiments, theserver 510 can broadcast the grocery order to all eligible vehicles 101,and the eligible vehicles 101 can respond with a “bid” for the groceryorder, such that the vehicle 101 with the highest bid can be assignedthe grocery order. In various embodiments, an autonomous robot vehicle101 that is assigned a grocery order can respond to the server 510 witha delivery time estimate for the grocery order, and the server 510 cancommunicate the time estimate to the customer device 540. The variousways of assigning a grocery order to an autonomous vehicle areexemplary, and other ways of assigning a grocery order to an autonomousvehicle are contemplated.

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the server 510 cananalyze historical grocery orders to identify grocery ordering patterns.For example, there may be recurring peak times when particular groceryorders are placed, such as coffee orders between 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM, orpeak times when particular grocery orders are delivered to certainlocations, such as pizza orders for delivery to a local high schoolbetween 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM. In various embodiments, the server 510can preemptively instruct one or more robot vehicles 101 to preemptivelyprepare grocery orders before the orders are actually placed byconsumers. In various embodiments, the server 510 can communicate actualgrocery orders to the robot vehicles 101, with the grocery orders havingno assigned customer. If a customer 202 places a grocery order that hasbeen preemptively assigned to a robot vehicle 101, the server 510 canassociate the customer 202 with the preemptive grocery order andcommunicate the customer information to the robot vehicle 101. Thedisclosed embodiments are exemplary, and other variations andembodiments of implementing grocery order analytics and forecasts, andimplementing preemptive grocery orders, are contemplated to be withinthe scope of the present disclosure.

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, and with referenceagain to FIG. 6 , the following will describe control and processing ofan autonomous robot vehicle 101 that receives a grocery order. As shownin FIG. 6 , an autonomous robot vehicle 101 includes a robot processor125. The robot processor 125 executes instructions stored in a memory(not shown) to perform the operations described herein, includingdetermining a travel route for delivering grocery orders. In variousembodiments, an autonomous robot vehicle 101 that receives a groceryorder for a delivery destination can use the navigation module 140 todetermine a travel route that includes the destination.

With continuing reference to FIG. 6 , after the processor 125 hasselected a travel route, the processor 125 controls the conveyancesystem 130 to travel the travel route. During the travel, the processor125 controls the securable storage compartments 102, 104 based on thetemperature and/or humidity control requirements for the grocery orders

Additional Features

In some embodiments, the robot fleet 100 further includes at least onerobot 101 having a digital display for curated content comprising:advertisements (e.g., for both specific user and general public),including services provided, marketing/promotion, regional/location ofareas served, customer details, local environment, lost, sought ordetected people, public service announcements, date, time, or weather.

The embodiments disclosed herein are examples of the disclosure and maybe embodied in various forms. For instance, although certain embodimentsherein are described as separate embodiments, each of the embodimentsherein may be combined with one or more of the other embodiments herein.Specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not tobe interpreted as limiting, but as a basis for the claims and as arepresentative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variouslyemploy the present disclosure in virtually any appropriately detailedstructure. Like reference numerals may refer to similar or identicalelements throughout the description of the figures.

The phrases “in an embodiment,” “in embodiments,” “in variousembodiments,” “in some embodiments,” “in certain embodiments,” “in otherembodiments,” or the like may each refer to one or more of the same ordifferent embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure. Aphrase in the form “A or B” means “(A), (B), or (A and B).” A phrase inthe form “at least one of A, B, or C” means “(A); (B); (C); (A and B);(A and C); (B and C); or (A, B, and C).”

Any of the herein described methods, programs, algorithms or codes maybe converted to, or expressed in, a programming language or computerprogram. The terms “programming language” and “computer program,” asused herein, each include any language used to specify instructions to acomputer, and include (but is not limited to) the following languagesand their derivatives: Assembler, Basic, Batch files, BCPL, C, C+, C++,Delphi, Fortran, Java, JavaScript, machine code, operating systemcommand languages, Pascal, Perl, PL1, scripting languages, Visual Basic,metalanguages which themselves specify programs, and all first, second,third, fourth, fifth, or further generation computer languages. Alsoincluded are database and other data schemas, and any othermeta-languages. No distinction is made between languages which areinterpreted, compiled, or use both compiled and interpreted approaches.No distinction is made between compiled and source versions of aprogram. Thus, reference to a program, where the programming languagecould exist in more than one state (such as source, compiled, object, orlinked) is a reference to any and all such states. Reference to aprogram may encompass the actual instructions and/or the intent of thoseinstructions.

The systems described herein may also utilize one or more controllers toreceive various information and transform the received information togenerate an output. The controller may include any type of computingdevice, computational circuit, or any type of processor or processingcircuit capable of executing a series of instructions that are stored ina memory. The controller may include multiple processors and/ormulticore central processing units (CPUs) and may include any type ofprocessor, such as a microprocessor, digital signal processor,microcontroller, programmable logic device (PLD), field programmablegate array (FPGA), or the like. The controller may also include a memoryto store data and/or instructions that, when executed by the one or moreprocessors, cause the one or more processors to perform one or moremethods and/or algorithms.

Any of the herein described methods, programs, algorithms or codes maybe converted to, or expressed in, a programming language or computerprogram. The terms “programming language” and “computer program,” asused herein, each include any language used to specify instructions to acomputer, and include (but is not limited to) the following languagesand their derivatives: Assembler, Basic, Batch files, BCPL, C, C+, C++,Delphi, Fortran, Java, JavaScript, machine code, operating systemcommand languages, Pascal, Perl, PL1, scripting languages, Visual Basic,metalanguages which themselves specify programs, and all first, second,third, fourth, fifth, or further generation computer languages. Alsoincluded are database and other data schemas, and any othermeta-languages. No distinction is made between languages which areinterpreted, compiled, or use both compiled and interpreted approaches.No distinction is made between compiled and source versions of aprogram. Thus, reference to a program, where the programming languagecould exist in more than one state (such as source, compiled, object, orlinked) is a reference to any and all such states. Reference to aprogram may encompass the actual instructions and/or the intent of thoseinstructions.

Persons skilled in the art will understand that the structures andmethods specifically described herein and shown in the accompanyingfigures are non-limiting exemplary embodiments, and that thedescription, disclosure, and figures should be construed merely asexemplary of particular embodiments. It is to be understood, therefore,that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise embodimentsdescribed, and that various other changes and modifications may beeffected by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope orspirit of the disclosure. Additionally, the elements and features shownor described in connection with certain embodiments may be combined withthe elements and features of certain other embodiments without departingfrom the scope of the present disclosure, and that such modificationsand variations are also included within the scope of the presentdisclosure. Accordingly, the subject matter of the present disclosure isnot limited by what has been particularly shown and described.

What is claimed is:
 1. An autonomous vehicle for transporting orretrieving deliveries comprising: a conveyance system configured toautonomously drive the autonomous vehicle between a first location and asecond location; and at least one securable storage compartment, the atleast one securable storage compartment including at least one securablestorage sub-compartment, the at least one securable storage compartmentor sub-compartment being removable from the autonomous vehicle forselective replacement of the at least one securable storage compartmentor sub-compartment, the at least one securable storage compartment orsub-compartment configured to receive at least one item at the firstlocation, the at least one securable storage compartment orsub-compartment being operatively coupled to an ambient air controlmodule configured to control ambient air in the at least one securablestorage compartment or sub-compartment within a predetermined ambientair control range to provide ambient air control for the at least onesecurable storage compartment or sub-compartment as the conveyancesystem drives the autonomous vehicle between the first location and thesecond location.
 2. The autonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein theambient air control module includes a temperature control moduleconfigured to control temperature levels within the at least onesecurable storage compartment or sub-compartment.
 3. The autonomousvehicle of claim 1, wherein the ambient air control module includes ahumidity control module configured to control humidity levels within theat least one securable storage compartment or sub-compartment.
 4. Theautonomous vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one securablestorage compartment or sub-compartment is assignable to a customer. 5.The autonomous vehicle of claim 4, wherein the at least one securablestorage compartment or sub-compartment is configured to open for thecustomer.
 6. The autonomous vehicle of claim 5, wherein the at least onesecurable storage compartment or sub-compartment is configured to openfor the customer in response to a code provided by the customer.
 7. Asystem comprising: a fleet of autonomous vehicles including theautonomous vehicle of claim
 1. 8. An autonomous vehicle for transportingor retrieving deliveries comprising: a conveyance system configured toautonomously drive the autonomous vehicle between a first location and asecond location; and at least one securable storage compartment, the atleast one securable storage compartment including at least one securablestorage sub-compartment, the at least one securable storage compartmentor sub-compartment being removable from the autonomous vehicle forselective replacement of the at least one securable storage compartmentor sub-compartment, the at least one securable storage compartment orsub-compartment configured to receive at least one item at the firstlocation, the at least one securable storage compartment orsub-compartment including an ambient air control module configured tocontrol ambient air in the at least one securable storage compartment orsub-compartment within a predetermined ambient air control range toprovide ambient air control for the at least one securable storagecompartment or sub-compartment as the conveyance system drives theautonomous vehicle between the first location and the second location.9. The autonomous vehicle of claim 8, wherein the ambient air controlmodule includes a temperature control module configured to controltemperature levels within the at least one securable storage compartmentor sub-compartment.
 10. The autonomous vehicle of claim 8, wherein theambient air control module includes a humidity control module configuredto control humidity levels within the at least one securable storagecompartment or sub-compartment.
 11. The autonomous vehicle of claim 8,wherein the at least one securable storage compartment orsub-compartment is assignable to a customer.
 12. The autonomous vehicleof claim 11, wherein the at least one securable storage compartment orsub-compartment is configured to open for the customer.
 13. Theautonomous vehicle of claim 12, wherein the at least one securablestorage compartment or sub-compartment is configured to open for thecustomer in response to a code provided by the customer.
 14. A systemcomprising: a fleet of autonomous vehicles including the autonomousvehicle of claim
 8. 15. A delivery system for transporting or retrievingdeliveries, comprising: an autonomous vehicle including at least onesecurable storage compartment, the at least one securable storagecompartment including at least one securable storage sub-compartment,the at least one securable storage compartment or sub-compartmentconfigured to receive at least one item, the at least one securablestorage compartment or sub-compartment being removable from theautonomous vehicle for selective replacement of the at least onesecurable storage compartment or sub-compartment, the at least onesecurable storage compartment or sub-compartment being operativelycoupled to or including an ambient air control module configured tocontrol ambient air in the at least one securable storage compartment orsub-compartment within a predetermined ambient air control range; adatabase configured to store information of a location; at least oneprocessor; and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by theat least one processor, cause the autonomous vehicle to transport the atleast one item to the location.
 16. The delivery system of claim 15,wherein the ambient air control module includes a temperature controlmodule configured to control temperature levels within the at least onesecurable storage compartment or sub-compartment.
 17. The deliverysystem of claim 15, wherein the ambient air control module includes ahumidity control module configured to control humidity levels within theat least one securable storage compartment or sub-compartment.
 18. Thedelivery system of claim 15, wherein the at least one securable storagecompartment or sub-compartment is assignable to a customer.
 19. Thedelivery system of claim 18, wherein the at least one securable storagecompartment or sub-compartment is configured to open for the customer.20. The delivery system of claim 19, wherein the at least one securablestorage compartment or sub-compartment is configured to open for thecustomer in response to a code provided by the customer.